LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Dak Prescott saw no need for strong words or fiery speeches.
The Dallas Cowboys have lost six of nine since a 3-0 start, and all their quarterback cares about is finding a way to win consistently.
They will try to get headed back in the right direction when they visit the Chicago Bears tonight in a matchup between disappointing 6-6 teams that made the playoffs last season.
"Talk is cheap, right? We've talked a lot," Prescott said. "We've talked a bunch and got ourselves right to where we are.
"In a moment like this, I say to hell with the talking and I'm going to do more. I'm going to work harder, and if you're a young guy looking for somebody to figure it out, how to do it, yeah, look at me and some of these other guys because that's exactly what we're doing -- putting our head down, focusing and doubling down on ourselves."
The Cowboys came into the season with high expectations after winning the NFC East, and they looked like they were ready to deliver in the early going. Dallas averaged 32 points and 481 yards in its first 3-0 start since 2008, winning each of those games by at least 10 points. But in recent weeks, the team with the NFL's leading passer and No. 1 offense is having trouble scoring.
Dallas was kept out of the end zone in a 13-9 loss at New England two weeks ago, then managed two touchdowns in falling 26-15 to Buffalo on Thanksgiving. Despite all that, the Cowboys still hold a one-game lead over Philadelphia in the division.
Chicago has won three of four after losing four in a row, though two of those victories were against the Lions and the other was over the Giants. Detroit and New York are a combined 5-18-1, and the Lions started backup quarterbacks Jeff Driskel and David Blough.
"It speaks to the direction of where we could've went in that four-game slide," Bears Coach Matt Nagy said. "I thought it revealed a lot of who we were as a team and who we are as people. No one not one time started pointing fingers. That's a credit to our players for battling through that. It makes you proud to be their coach."
Amari Cooper's strong production since joining the Cowboys in a midseason trade last year hasn't translated on the road in his first full season with Dallas. The receiver has 47 catches, 758 yards and 5 touchdowns in six home games, and 17 catches for 213 yards and 2 scores on the road.
For Cooper, the more important numbers are 60 and 32. That's the difference in targets between home and road games. Cooper isn't one to complain, and isn't doing so by pointing out those numbers.
"It's just like basketball," said Cooper, who is still fifth in the league in yards receiving (971) and tied for fifth in TD catches (seven). "You shoot the ball more, you're going to have more points. If you only have two shots, then you only score four points."
The Cowboys finally brought in kickers for tryouts after Brett Maher had two big misses in the loss to Buffalo, pushing his NFL-leading total to nine misses. Dallas decided against signing a replacement, for now.
Maher has been one of the most interesting riddles in a season full of them for the Cowboys. He's the only kicker in NFL history with three kicks of at least 60 yards -- all three from at least 62. But he has the second-lowest success rate from 30-49 yards at 55% (6 of 11).
Tonight’s NFL
DALLAS AT CHICAGO
WHEN 7:20 p.m. Central
WHERE Soldier Field, Chicago
RECORDS Cowboys 6-6, Bears 6-6
TV Fox and NFL Network
LINE -- Cowboys by 3
SERIES -- Cowboys lead 15-11; Cowboys beat Bears 31-17, Sept. 25, 2016
ON OFFENSE
(RK) COWBOYS VS. BEARS (RK)
(8) 127.6 RUSH 79.3 (28)
(1) 305.2 PASS 202.4 (28)
(1) 432.8 YARDS 281.7 (29)
(8) 25.8 POINTS 17.7 (27)
ON DEFENSE
(RK) COWBOYS VS. BEARS (RK)
(16) 106.4 RUSH 97.5 (7)
(8) 215.2 PASS 222.2 (9)
(8) 321.6 YARDS 319.7 (7)
(8) 19.7 POINTS 17.3 (4)
WHAT TO WATCH Cowboys WR Randall Cobb's eyes light up when he sees the Bears. He has 64 catches, 885 yards and 9 career TDs against the Bears, which are his most against any opponent. Cobb spent his first eight seasons with Green Bay, and he faced the Packers' NFC North rival 15 times.
Sports on 12/05/2019